Caesar P. Tabet, insurance exec, dies at age 93

Spearheaded early fundraisers to launch St. Jude Children's Hospital in Memphis

September 13, 2008|By Joan Giangrasse Kates, Special to the Tribune

Much of what inspired Caesar P. Tabet throughout his life could be traced to his growing up in an orphanage, where loved ones say he was cared for by German nuns who instilled in him the values of education and discipline.

The longtime River Forest resident was what family and friends described as an eternal optimist, a person who found the good in every person and situation.

"It was a combination of his love for people and his deep commitment to creating a sense of security for families from all walks of life that guided him throughout his long career," said his son, Caesar Tabet Jr.

Mr. Tabet, 93, a World War II veteran and a retired executive with Mutual of New York Insurance Co. in Chicago, died of heart failure Tuesday, Sept. 9, at his home.

Born of Lebanese immigrants in Chicago, Mr. Tabet was a year old when he and his three older siblings were brought to Angel Guardian Orphanage on the North Side. His father had died in a flu epidemic, and his mother was unable to provide for her four children.

"It was a heartbreaking decision his mother was forced to make, giving her children up, but she knew they would be well cared for" said his son. "In the years that followed, she played an active role in their lives and had visited them regularly in the orphanage."

In 1932, Mr. Tabet graduated from St. Philip Catholic High School on the North Side. He then joined the Civilian Conservation Corps during the Depression.

In the late 1930s, Mr. Tabet landed a job as a salesman at the Chicago offices of Mutual of New York Insurance Co. He was drafted into the Army in 1940 and served in WW II as a master sergeant in the North African and European theaters, where he was in charge of 33 war camps and more than 250,000 prisoners of war, family members said.

Following his military discharge in 1945, Mr. Tabet lived in Paris for more than a year and studied literature at Paris-Sorbonne University. He then returned to Chicago, where he resumed his duties at Mutual of New York Insurance Co., rising through the ranks to eventually become the office's chief executive, family members said.

In 1958, Mr. Tabet married his wife, Patricia, with whom he had six children. The couple lived in Chicago for a short time before moving to River Forest.

While pursuing his career, Mr. Tabet spent much of his free time championing social causes and being active in Chicago's literary circles. He became a close friend of American novelist Nelson Algren, family members said.

"He owned an apartment building and rented an apartment to Nelson Algren," his son said. "He also served as the best man at his wedding."

Mr. Tabet also was involved in the Chicago Lebanese community, which led to a friendship with actor Danny Thomas, a former Chicagoan who also is of Lebanese descent.

Thomas, Mr. Tabet and others in the Lebanese community developed the early concept for what was later to become St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in Memphis, family members said. Mr. Tabet also helped spearhead early fundraisers that helped get the project off the ground and eventually build the hospital, family members said.

"When you get two Lebanese together it's usually difficult getting them to agree on anything, but Caesar had a way of bringing people together," said Anthony Shaker, a longtime member of Chicago's Lebanese community and owner of Shaker Advertising in Chicago. "He raised a lot of money for St. Jude's and made so many friends along the way."

Mr. Tabet was 88 when he retired from Mutual of New York Insurance Co.